The recent rains have arrived in time for a cracking jumps card at Exeter and Regal Presence (3.20) needs good ground, has gone well fresh in the past and ran a cracker here back in March over C&D when just touched off from a 6lb lower mark.
Some competitive midweek racing this afternoon and we begin at Newcastle where the BetVictor Racing Club’s Bob (4.20) is taken to follow up his Doncaster win two weeks ago over a mile dropping back in trip.
The feature race from this afternoon’s Newbury card is the Fillies’ Listed St Hugh’s Stakes and Explosive Lady (3.55) reverts to the minimum trip having finished third in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot over six last time.
With only four weeks to the Royal meeting this is the time when trainers start sending out their better early season juveniles to see whether they may have an Ascot horse on their hands.
The Punchestown Festival begins this afternoon and it is impossible to oppose the unbeaten Faugheen (4.20) in the first Grade 1 on the card despite the gelding dropping back in trip from his memorable success at Cheltenham in the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle over 2m 5f.
Sandown Park stage a cracking flat card this afternoon on ground officially, at the time of writing, good to soft but there is more rain forecast for later today.
An excellent midweek card from Nottingham this afternoon including the return of the exciting lightly-raced 5-year-old Pearl Secret (3.40) last seen running a blinder when third at Royal Ascot back in June in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes